Tag: politics

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Another ‘Union Jack’ chosen by Labour to serve you on the Scottish Affairs committee

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By stewartb Speaking of Tories …. With the membership of the Scottish Affairs Committee in the House of Commons now announced (albeit one vacant place still to be formally allocated), it’s worth a moment getting to know better one member, namely Jack Rankin MP. For contest, recall the remit of this Committee: ‘The Scottish Affairs Committee scrutinises the expenditure, administration and policies of the Scotland Office, and its associated bodies. ‘The Committee also examines the wider UK Government, to assess policies and legislation that lead to direct impacts on Scotland.’ Given this, it’s relevant firstly to note that Mr Rankin is … Continue reading Another ‘Union Jack’ chosen by Labour to serve you on the Scottish Affairs committee

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Labour deceit – England may be but Scotland is not, ‘one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world’

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By Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today: Budget cuts mean farmers in England ‘must do more with less’ UK [sic] ‘among most nature-depleted countries in the world’ warns environment secretary’. Farmers and conservationists will have to “learn to do more with less” ahead of expected deep budget cuts to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the environment secretary has said. Steve Reed said that Labour would continue to prioritise the restoration of the nature in England, but acknowledged that the chancellor’s budget would be “difficult”. Typically conflating the UK and England, the claim, for Scotland, is wrong. … Continue reading Labour deceit – England may be but Scotland is not, ‘one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world’

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Scottish Tory leader conflicted by ‘perfect happiness’ over no free prescriptions but ‘palpable anger’ at winter fuel allowance cut

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By Anonymous “Scots would be perfectly happy to see the end of universal free prescriptions from the NHS” says Tory leader (ITO) in Scotland. Meanwhile the same Tory leader (ITO) in Scotland was not “happy”, as in he was opposed to, Labour UK cutting the “Universal” Winter Fuel allowance for Pensioners, in fact neither were most of the people who lived in Scotland “happy” either. In fact Russell Findlay said “there was “palpable” anger at Labour across the UK” on this decision. Also he said that “Elderly folk who have slogged hard all their days feel absolutely betrayed.” Of course he condemned the Labour PM for “not carrying out … Continue reading Scottish Tory leader conflicted by ‘perfect happiness’ over no free prescriptions but ‘palpable anger’ at winter fuel allowance cut

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Steady fall in cardiac death rate over last 10 years

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland, today, the above graph, and: The rate of hospital discharges of patients with a heart attack has decreased by 20% in the past 10 years. In 2023/24, 94% of people survived 30 days or more following their first heart attack, which is largely unchanged over the past decade. The rate at which new cases of coronary heart disease occur (the incidence) has fallen by 12% over the last 10 years. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/scottish-cardiac-audit-programme-scap/scottish-cardiac-audit-programme-report-20232024/ Support Scots Independent, Scotland’s oldest pro-independence newspaper and host of the OBA (Oliver Brown Award) at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/shop/ The Oliver Brown Award for advancing the cause of Scotland’s … Continue reading Steady fall in cardiac death rate over last 10 years

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Scottish Cons and Labour’s attack on free prescriptions could cost thousands of lives in the next pandemic

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By Professor John Robertson OBA In the National, yesterday: SCOTS would be “perfectly happy” to see the end of universal free prescriptions from the NHS, the Scottish Tory leader has claimed. As far back as 2012, Scottish Labour would not have protected free prescriptions – Labour leader Johann Lamont has signalled a policy shift by calling for an end to a “something for nothing” culture. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13074454.lamont-calls-end-something-nothing-culture/ In September 2024, The Trussell Trust reported: 68% of working households in receipt of Universal Credit having gone without essentials, such as basic toiletries and prescriptions, in the last six months. This is only slightly lower than the … Continue reading Scottish Cons and Labour’s attack on free prescriptions could cost thousands of lives in the next pandemic

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Nuclear Power Stations – Is Scottish Government being tricked by Shanks’ Trojan Horse legislation?

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I’m grateful to Frances who, after reading Labour’s new plans to streamline planning applications, wonders: This sounds ominous … Holyrood depends on  control of planning to hold back nuclear lobby? Yesterday, in the National: REFORMS to energy planning rules aimed at accelerating new clean power developments have been unveiled by the Scottish and UK governments. The Scottish Government has welcomed Labour’s announcement that they are “modernising outdated bureaucratic processes” to make it easier to develop new green energy projects. Acting Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said that the reforms – which are reserved to Westminster – would “help support Scotland realise our clean power … Continue reading Nuclear Power Stations – Is Scottish Government being tricked by Shanks’ Trojan Horse legislation?

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Rachel Reeves to fund a 0.57% increase in appointments in desperate attempt to catch NHS Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson OBA: From BBC Health, yesterday: Chancellor sets out new funding for extra NHS appointments then spells it out: The chancellor has said more funding will be provided to help the NHS deliver the extra 40,000 appointments and procedures per week – or more than two million a year – promised in the Labour manifesto. An extra 40 000, 2 million more every year? Big numbers, or are they Primary 7? From NHS England on 25 April 2024: GP teams delivered almost 30 million appointments for patients last month (March 2024), up almost a quarter on the same period before … Continue reading Rachel Reeves to fund a 0.57% increase in appointments in desperate attempt to catch NHS Scotland

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Poll suggests Scottish Socialists could win 17% and 16 regional MSP seats to support and nudge a pro-independence Scottish government toward the left

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By Professor of Media Politics, Dr John Robertson, SSP Member (2024), Research Ethics Chair, Faculty of Business and Media, University of the West of Scotland, 2016 (rtd) In the 2021 Holyrood Election, the Scottish Greens won 8.1% of the Regional vote and earned 8 MSPs. The Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) which had 6 MSPs back in 2003 did not participate and the Alba Party did not exist at that point.1 Opinion Polls do not include the SSP and those which do include Alba, typically, have them at between 1 and 3%, o.64% in the latest Survation poll, too low to … Continue reading Poll suggests Scottish Socialists could win 17% and 16 regional MSP seats to support and nudge a pro-independence Scottish government toward the left

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Shock as Scotland trains 3 to 4 times as many nurses!

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By Professor John Robertson The Guardian today has: Numbers studying nursing down sharply in all parts of England, RCN says North-east the worst-affected region, recording 40% drop in acceptances on to pre-registration courses, union finds but for some reason never actually tells us how many have been accepted for places into English universities to do Nursing degrees. It’s: 13,870 students were accepted into nursing courses in England in 2024, down from 14,010 in 2023.1 And in Scotland? The figures show that the number of applicants for nursing courses in Scotland is down 8.3% compared to the same point last year. By … Continue reading Shock as Scotland trains 3 to 4 times as many nurses!

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Rape offences 2-3 times higher in England & Wales than in Scotland but they want you to think a different story about your country

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and September was almost 20% higher than in the same period last year. By Professor John Robertson BBC Reporting Scotland, in their own insert but also picked out as a special on life in Scotland for BBC Breakfast and extended on the BBC website, the above report of increased rape reporting to suggest Scotland is the rape capital of the UK to go along with the fake drug death capital story. No context whatsoever is reported to counter this shameful, exploitative narrative. Here is again: Rape offences 2-3 times higher in England & Wales than in Scotland The police in Scotland … Continue reading Rape offences 2-3 times higher in England & Wales than in Scotland but they want you to think a different story about your country